1989 - Das letzte Weihnachten der DDR
Christmas 1989 is a very special time in the GDR. Many GDR citizens 'crossed over' for the first time to collect welcome money and go shopping. Many West Germans explore the East, the first business people and profiteers are on the move in the GDR. A new era has begun for East Germans accustomed to the economy of scarcity, with new opportunities and risks. The film sheds light on the changes in consumerism and life in the East, using the last Christmas in the GDR as an example. What was usually on the gift table in the East and what was there in 1989, the year of reunification? What did the Christmas markets look like back then and how did they change? What consequences did the new freedom have for the employees of GDR retail companies such as HO and Konsum, Intershop and Delikat? Contemporary witnesses and celebrities talk about how they lived, celebrated and shopped at Christmas 1989.
